I’ve stepped in a few of those out in my woods; they really don’t smell very good.
There’s an old saying I learned when I was a kid “smells well, cooks well” -- which makes evolutionary sense; I think there are a few mushrooms that smell OK but kill you, and I once got violent food poisoning from some dried mushrooms I got online. So I am careful.
They have a really neat texture, I’ve touched them a couple times (and always carefully wiped my hands on my pants afterward)
lumipunasays
I think the ones you stepped on were old and rotten? Young boletes are usually quite firm, either tasty or tasteless, some species are bitter or mildly poisonous.
That second one also looks like it’s had a couple big bites taken out of it.
kestrelsays
Caine @#3: I’m pretty sure that is something else entirely and not a baby subtomentosus… and yes, something has been having a nice snack. A squirrel? A rabbit?
@Marcus, #1: you don’t have to worry about touching them, not really. You would want to wash your hands before eating. As far as the smell? Some of the good edibles smell really odd. Like matsutake… “dirty socks with a hint of cinnamon” is not a wildly appealing smell. So you can’t go by smell. In fact, there are no “simple Simon” rules for mushrooms. Too bad… in a way…
I’ve stepped in a few of those out in my woods; they really don’t smell very good.
There’s an old saying I learned when I was a kid “smells well, cooks well” -- which makes evolutionary sense; I think there are a few mushrooms that smell OK but kill you, and I once got violent food poisoning from some dried mushrooms I got online. So I am careful.
They have a really neat texture, I’ve touched them a couple times (and always carefully wiped my hands on my pants afterward)
I think the ones you stepped on were old and rotten? Young boletes are usually quite firm, either tasty or tasteless, some species are bitter or mildly poisonous.
If that’s a baby Suede Bolete in the second photo, kinda cool they go from black leather to brown suede. :D
That second one also looks like it’s had a couple big bites taken out of it.
Caine @#3: I’m pretty sure that is something else entirely and not a baby subtomentosus… and yes, something has been having a nice snack. A squirrel? A rabbit?
@Marcus, #1: you don’t have to worry about touching them, not really. You would want to wash your hands before eating. As far as the smell? Some of the good edibles smell really odd. Like matsutake… “dirty socks with a hint of cinnamon” is not a wildly appealing smell. So you can’t go by smell. In fact, there are no “simple Simon” rules for mushrooms. Too bad… in a way…